The New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, has initiated the development of an Environmental Impact Statement for Rehabilitation of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) in Kings County (Brooklyn), New York (PIN X730.56). The draft project limits extend approximately 1.5-miles along the BQE from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street, including the triple cantilever section of the roadway that includes the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The project address the structural deterioration and operational deficiencies in this segment of the BQE, which is characterized by narrow lanes, lack of shoulders, short merge/weave distances near on-/off-ramps that do not meet current highway design standards, and vertical clearance constraints.
A combined Public Information Session and Scoping Meeting for this project was held on Monday, June 22, 2009. For those of you who were unable to attend, the purpose of this meeting was to provide the public and agencies with an opportunity to comment on the scope of the studies to be completed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU). This meeting was a mandatory requirement of the NEPA process. To facilitate receipt of comments, NYS DOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), prepared a Draft Scoping Document (DSD) that outlines the scope of the work to be undertaken. While substantive comments were received at the meetings, by copy of this email we are soliciting additional comments either from those who were unable to attend or from those that did attend and have additional comments to offer. Based on the comments received, a final scoping document will be prepared and made available to the public. Comments received by July 22, 2009 on the Draft Scoping Document will be considered in the preparation of the final scoping document. We will endeavor to incorporate any other comments received after the 22nd as can be accommodated within the NEPA process.
Copies of the DSD can be found on the NYS DOT website at www.nysdot.gov/bqedowntownbrooklyn and are also available for review at the locations listed below (call for library hours or to schedule an appointment at the other sites):
• NYSDOT, 47-40 21st St., Long Island City, NY 11101 (718) 482-4526, Adam Levine
• HDR , 500 Seventh Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018, (212) 542-6000, Kovid Saxena
• Brooklyn Community Board 6, 250 Baltic St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, (718) 643-3027
• Brooklyn Community Board 2, 350 Jay St., 8th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201, (718) 596-5410
• Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St., Brooklyn, NY 11201,(718) 802-3700
• Brooklyn Business Library, 280 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn, NY 11201, (718) 623-7000
The following methods are available to send comments:
• Mail to: Mr. Fred Libove, P.E., Project Development Supervisor
NYSDOT Region 11
Hunters Point Plaza, 47-40 21st Street
Long Island City, New York 11101
• Fax to: Mr. Libove at 718.482.6686
• E-mail to: Mr. Libove at [email protected]
For further information contact [email protected]
